Seaside moves toward making John Dunn permanent city manager

Interim Seaside City Manager John Dunn may lose the temporary-sounding title.

The City Council on Thursday moved ahead with a plan that would keep Dunn as the city's top administrator, eight months after he was hired to fill in after the departure of current Salinas City Manager Ray Corpuz.

Mayor Felix Bachofner said the next step will be to work out a contract that would keep Dunn in the job past Dec. 20, when a new state law on public employee pensions would prevent him from staying.

The council unanimously voted to retain Dunn, and at Thursday's council meeting members of the public added voices of support.

"That was a very good sign," Bachofner said Friday. "The past few city managers have not received unanimous support from the public."

Dunn said, "All the City Council members made pleasant comments, and I was happy."

Dunn came out of retirement in early April to fill the job on the heels of Corpuz's departure. At 76, he had retired in 2000 after 14 years as city manager in San Luis Obispo. In the 1970s and 1980s, Dunn was city manager in Monterey, resigning in 1987 amid controversy over his handling of two police sergeants working in a private security service.

Bachofner said Dunn was instrumental right away in balancing the Seaside budget and reorganizing the staff in a way that increased public service.

"In little more than a week, John showed the depths of his understanding of cities. He helped ... the various departments cobble together a better budget."

The council took initial steps this summer to prepare for a search for a new city manager, but Dunn signaled he would like to stay in the job on a permanent basis.

He came through an evaluation by the council with "very, very high marks," Bachofner said.

Among members of the public testifying Thursday in support of Dunn were Ralph Rubio, who likely will once again be Seaside's mayor, if his current lead holds up from the Nov. 6 election. Dave Pacheco, who has a lead from the election and stands to join the City Council in December, also indicated support for Dunn.